The Institute for Energy Research sees this rule as yet another attempt by President Biden to shut down critical domestic energy production in Alaska which appears to be one of his most important career goals. In fact, one of President Biden’s first actions as a freshman U.S. Senator in 1973 was to cast his vote against authorization for the right-of-way for the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline System (TAPS). His opposition was so out of touch with the will of Americans that he was one of only 5 to vote against the conference report on the matter in the Senate. Since his unsuccessful vote to thwart it, TAPS has transported nearly 19 billion barrels of oil to American consumers, adding $1.5 trillion dollars in economic activity to the U.S. economy and reducing energy prices for American families and businesses.
The National Petroleum Reserve was established as a National Petroleum Reserve. At 23 million acres, it is the size of Indiana in a state more than twice as large as Texas. Alaska already hosts 60% of the nation’s National Park System acreage. The state also hosts 88% of the nation’s National Wildlife Refuge System acreage. We think Alaska has already given at the office, and its people and the nation should not be foreclosed from the opportunity to use NPRA’s bounty of resources for their personal and national security, as the proposed Rule would do.
It is time to stop President Biden’s assault on the people of Alaska he began 50 years ago and listen first to Alaskans who live and work there. NPRA is the size of Indiana, but makes up a small part of Alaska, whose total population is less than the city of Indianapolis. It is time to reject this rule and get on with the business of making the U.S. the serious and secure nation we once were. This rule does just the opposite.
